Presidential Affairs

《LXVI》

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A month passes and still, Nikolai doesn't appear to me.

But what does happen is America falls apart. Every day we watch the news about how powerful countries are cutting us off. Just three weeks ago our five source countries for petroleum stopped importing gas to America and now the price of gas is so bad most people are trying to buy bikes because cities are shutting down some public transportation too. 

Just yesterday at the store a almost threw up when I noticed that milk which used to be three dollars before the Pandemic back in 2019 is now sold for ten dollars. And that's if you're lucky to find milk in the store at all. 

I still have yet to tell kids about my pregnancy. We'll what would I even say?

Hey kids, I'm pregnant and it's your supposedly dead father's baby.

I figure I'll just wait it out until I show or until they ask me. I pray Nikolai will be back by then. 

"Mom! Uncle Carlos died?" Amelia screams at me from the living room.

I put the knife I was cutting lettuce with down and run to the tv.

"....Just last week we buried the Supreme Judge and a few days before that ten members of congress took their own lives. And now our own President has been killed in a car accident? Mrs. Speaker of the house, what is going on? How do you explain this to Americans who are already outside the white house protesting about the gas prices, inflation, and theirs even talks about another great depression!"

The Speaker of the House shifts uncomfortably in her seat, "we want the American people to understand that we are working hard to fix these issues and that the best they can do as of now is to stay calm so we can-"

The middle-aged reporter scowls, "stay calm? Correct me if I'm wrong but was it not last Friday when videos and pictures of children trafficked by our own government were leaked? Survivors have stepped forward and shared their own stories and parents across America are boycotting schools because we've had fifteen school shootings in the last month. But you ask that we stay calm?"

I grab the remote and switch to another news channel, what on earth is happening. Cause this is giving the end of the world.

I read the heading at the bottom of the screen, 'JFK Documents released days after MLK autopsy was released.

My mouth drops in surprise, "no he did not".

Throwing the remote on the couch, I turn around and run to Vladimir's office. Enough is enough, I need answers. I know Nikolai is behind all this but I need to know when we're going to leave. It's not long before their suspicions will grow. And high profiling celebrities have been dying too, some by suicide, others from car accidents, plane crashes, and even gunshots. 

I was scared.

"Vladimir-"

He shakes his head, stands up, and leads me to the kitchen.

"My office is bugged".

I squeeze the bridge of my nose, "I don't know what's happening out there and to be quite honest, I don't care to know either but you need to tell-"

"Are you doubting him?", he questions me.

"W-what no, that's not what I'm saying-", I stammer.

"Then be patient. Timing is key".

"He has to show up before I begin to show. The kids will ask questions that I don't know how to answer-"

He shrugs, "Find an answer".

I cross my arms, "Nikolai's best friend-our President-has been murdered, are me and my children next?"

He chuckles lowly and leans down so our faces are inches apart, "I don't kill family, Felicity".

I gasp and jump away from him. Why would he kill Carlos? Carlos has been Nikolais best friend since college, he's always been good to me and the kids who adore him as their only 'uncle'. After Nikolai was assassinated, naturally Carlos who was Vice President, took over as President, but I held no hard feelings for him when he did. It's the procedure.

Before I can ask anything more, he strides out of the kitchen as Amelia slowly comes in.

"You're having a baby", she whispers almost like it's a question.

I cringe, "Amelia what did I tell you about eavesdropping?"

"I know It's Daddy's", She states surely. "I..."

I watch with furrowed brows as she looks around and then carefully approaches me with hesitation in her eyes. 

"I saw him a while ago. I-I was planning on running away-"

 My mouth drops, "Amelia!"

"He stopped me and told me we're all gonna leave, to Russia-I know you hate the cold Mommy but you got used to it pretty quick...", she trails off.

I sigh and pull her into my arms, "It doesn't even matter where we go any more. Aslog as we're together, I know we'll be okay".

"Dinner?" Skylar asks as she silently watches us from the door frame.

Although she's been in therapy since Nikolai's death. It's only recently that she began to talk again. She had trouble at first because she hadn't used her vocal cords in years but with speech therapy, she slowly started saying short phrases without going into a coughing fit. Now after Amelia told me that her father talked to her the night she planned on running away, It's clicking that he's probably why her behavior has changed dramatically. And he probably talked to Skylar to considering it's less likely somehow a miracle that she all of a sudden wanted to talk again. 

I smile, "there's my songbird. Grab the salad and take it to the table for me please. We're having burgers tonight".

Dinner seemed to have a light air this night. Despite the world falling apart and burning down, for once I felt at peace and hopeful about life. 

I start a bath for myself and even put some lavender oil to soothe myself. After pouring myself a glass of cranberry pineapple juice to substitute for wine, I light up a candle and dim the lights. The warm water felt silky against my skin, it feels soo good I can sleep in it.

At that, though I drop my wine glass and the notice of breaking glass which is right next to me feels like it's miles away.

Black dots begin to crowd my vision and my heartbeat slows down. I try to move my legs and hands, to stand up and climb out of the tub because if I pass out in here, I'm going to drown. Drowning has always been my biggest fear. 

I struggle to even my breaths as panic sinks in when my body begins to fall limp. 

And then darkness engulfs me.